Automobile body



Sept. 9, 1924. Y 1,507,607 y F. J. KELLY Y AUTOMOBILE BODY Filed May '9, 1923 lIl IIll* l a l HU ,afg-*Ll struts, and

Patented Sept. 9, 1924.

UNITED STATES FRANK JACK KELLY, OF TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA.

AUTOMOBILE BODY.

Application filed 'May 9,

T0 all whom t may con-ocra:

Be it known that I, FRANK JACK KELLY, of the city of rIOronto, in the county of Yorkand Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile Bodies; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention, relating to improvements in that class of automobiles in which the seats are constructed with hinged backs that canvbe selectively raised to a vertical or substantially vertical position, or lowered to a horizontal or substantially horizontal posit-ion, with-relation to the seat cushion, is characterized by a specially designed hinge which will connect the seat back to the seat frame `and* support the seat cushion and hold it against longitudinal displacement when the seat back is lowered to the vhorizontal position.

It is also characterized byl a set of pivot'ed brackets, co-operating with the hinges Aand adapted for engagement with a rail attached to the seat back, for supporting the latter in its lowered position and preventing its further downward displacement; and is further characterized by a set of pivoted brackets and pivoted struts, co-operating with the hinges forA supporting the seat cushion above the seat frame when the backV -is lowered.

In the drawings: f Fig. l is a broken elevation of an autoincbile body with the front seat back, and front seat cushions in the same plane as the back seat cushion.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the front seat back, 1 l

Figj is a fragmentary sideelevation of the' front seat back in its lowered position, showing the hinge connecting the seat bach to the seat frame and supporting the seat cushion, y.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the-hinge, Fig. 5 is a side elevation of theffolding bracket for supporting the seat front cushion.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the rear seat, Fig. 7 is a fragmentary frontelevation of the front seat showing one of the pivoted 1923. Serial No. 637,858.

Fig.y 8 is a detail view of one of the brackets for engagement vwith the rail of the yseatback when lowered.

Referring to the drawings: y

2 represents the frame of theffront seat which may be of any usual or approved construction and to the top of which is hinged the seat back 1. The hinges employed/:for this purpose are similar in principle 'to those front known as butt hinges and each yhinge is* composed of-two' members 3 and 4 formed lith the. usual vhinge sockets` 3a, 4PN respectively, through which is entered a. hinge pin- 4b., The edge 4, of the hingefmember4, that is opposite the hinge lmember 4a, is formed with angular-shaped projections of a substantially Z-shape and these projections are so located and spaced as to lie against jthe side edges of tliehinge member 3 when thehinge member 4 is folded against it, so that the .two -hinge members can contact, and lie `flatagamst each other when the seat back l is raised to its-vertical position. Eachof. z, f these angular lprojections. comprise two es-v sential parts 5 and 6 of which the part 6 is 1 plane of l .85 As' shown in Fig@ the ilarly fastened to the'bottom edge of the solidf'portion la of the'backl with the angular projections extending beyond the'front I or top face of thesolid portion lai.. In the f same ligure the bottom 12 ofthe frontvseat cushion l0 is shown to be constructed of angle-iron with' the edge of theA side I22L seated on thepart 16 of the angular projectionand the part 5 of the angular projection engaging the side 12a and establishing .an interlocking engagement-with it for preventing the longitudinal movement Vof-'the seaty cushion 10.

The depth of the'parts from the bottom' Y of the hinge member 4 to the surfacev ofthe seat part 6 is such, in relation to the depth from the bottom edge of the side 12a to the top of the cushion 10, as to maintain the top surface of that cushion in the same plane as the surface of the seat back 1 in its lowered position.

In Fig. 1 the front seat is shown to be provided with a supplemental cushion 11. This cushion is hinged to the cushion 10 and when the front seat is used for sitting purposes the cushion 11 is folded under the cushion 10 and occupies the space between the bottom of the latter cushion and the top of the seat frame 2. In this position the cushion'll supports the cushion 10 from the seat frame. Then the seat back 1 is in a vertical position the hinge member 4 lies against rthe hinge member 3 with the angular projections disengaged from the side 12EL and embracing the side edges of the hinge member 3.

Pivoted in the sides 10a of the automobile body in line with the bottom 12 of the cushion 10 are struts 18. Then the cushion 11 is folded beneath the cushion 10 these struts are moved back into the body 10a as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 7. When the cushion 11 is extended into the position shown in Fig. lthe struts 18 are moved out of their recesses in the body 10a into engagement with the bottom 12 of the cushion 10 and co-operate with the hinges in supporting the cushion 10 in its elevated position above the seat frame 27 as shown in Fig. 1. The hinge connection 11EL between 'the cushions 11 and '10 supports the rear edge o-f the cushion 11. The front or opposite edge of the cushion 11 is supported by brackets 18 which are hingedly secured to .body posts 14 preferably located adjacent to the 'sides of the car body. The brackets 13 are adapted to fold inwards and lie against the body when not required tosupport the cushion 11. Hook-shaped brackets 15 arehinged to the front of the rear seat frame 2n and these brackets are so` located as to engage the rail or rod 16 that is fastened to the seat back 1 when the seat back is in the lowered or horizontal position and hold the seat back against further downward displacement. `When not required for use the brackets 15 swing into a recess v17 provided for that purpose inthe rear seat frame. f

To maintain the seat back 1 in its vertical position its side edges `are provided with latches 7 which enter corresponding keepers 9 in the body sides or preferably in uprights 8 extending from the front seat frame 2.

The construction and arrangement of the parts hereinbefore described provides a conveniently convertible type of automobile seat which can be selectively used either for sitting or reclining and sleeping purposes Y and which can be quickly adJusted to either of these uses, and the special form of hinge performs three functions; viz7 hinging the seat back to the seat frame; supporting the seat cushion in its properly elevated position; and holdingthe seat cushion againstL hinge member fastened to the framework and a hinge member fastened'to the lseat back and carrying angular lugs for supporting and locking engagement with one section of a two-part seat cushion, said section of the cushion resting in locked eni gagement upon the angular lugs of the hinge member. n

2. In an automobile body in combination a front seat comprising two hingedly connected seatsections adapted to be either eX- tended into the same plane or ,folded one under the other, a seat back releasably secured at itsl upper end to the supporting framework and a hinge connecting thelower end of the seat back to the supporting framework comprising a hinge member fastened to the frame work and a hino'e member fastened to the seat back and carryingangular lugs for supporting and lock-` ing engagement with one of the seat sections, pivoted struts on opposite sides of the body frame-cooperating with saidlugs.

in supporting said last mentioned seat section above the support-ing framework in alignment with said seat back, and hookshaped brackets hinged to body posts for supporting the forward end of the other'y seatsection. f

3. In an automobile body in combination a front seat comprising two hingedly connected seat sections adapted to be extended into the same planeor folded one under theother, a seat back releasably secured at its upper end to the supporting framework and a hinge connecting the lowery end of the seat back to the supporting framework comprising a hinge member fastened to the framework land a hinge mem.- ber fastened to the seat back and carrying angular lugs for supporting and locking engagement with one of the seat sections,k

pivoted struts 'on opposite sides of the body frame cooperating with said lugs in supporting said last-mentioned section above the supporting framework in alignment with said seat back, hook-shaped bracketsk uponbody posts for supporting the forward end of the other seat section when extended, a rod extended transversely along the seat back and hook-shaped braickets pivotally connected to the rear seat fra-me for looking engage-k ment with said rodl when said seat back is in a lowered position.

4. In an automobile body as claimed in cla-im l in which the bottom of onel of the two hingedly connected seat sections is constructed of angle iron for looking engagement With the angular lugs of the hinge FRANK J ACK KELLY.

pivotally connecting the seat back with: the 10 Witnesses:-

STANLY RICHES, WM. T. MILLER. 

